MD179調査より得られた日本海東縁域海底表層堆積土の物理・力学的性質

抄録

Gas hydrates are attracting attention as a next-generation energy source. On the other hands, Methane gas contained in the natural gas hydrates has approximately 20 times the greenhouse effect of CO₂. There are concerns that dissociation of methane gas from the gas hydrates distributed in submarine surface layers (shallow type gas hydrates) by rising ocean temperatures or by vaporization at recovery of the hydrates for energy may contribute to global warming, which in turn may raise the sea level and causing climatic instability. In addition, many gas-hydrate-bearing areas are distributed near the boundaries of tectonic plates, as shown in the figure. Gas hydrates in the surface layer of seafloor may dissociate when seismic activities cause seafloor landslides that in turn cause gas hydrate-bearing layers to fail. There have been concerns over the environmental effects of shallow type gas hydrates, but surveys for shallow type hydrates have been few.
The purpose of this study is to understand the soil properties of the sea-bottom sediment obtained from the Eastern Margin of Japan Sea. The samples were collected from 5 regions (Umitaka Spur, Joetsu Ridge, Toyama Trough, West of Tsugaru and west of Okushiri Ridge), and the physical (soil density and water content) and mechanical (cone penetration ratio and vane shear strength) tests were performed by on-board used for the sea-bottom sediments.
From the test results, it is found that the physical properties of the sediment samples obtained in these areas have no marked difference regardless of the locations or depth of sampling. However, the soil strength of sea-bottom sediments obtained gas hydrates was lower than those of other sediments. It would seem that this is because the effect of methane hydrates dissociation and vaporization of dissolved gas in the pore water at sampling.